Reflecting on her breakthrough year in the WTA Tour, Coco Gauff sat for an interview with Beyond the Baseline Podcast host Jon Wertheim to talk about the things that happened to her in the 2019 season. The Florida-based tennis player started the year at No. 685 in the world rankings. She ended the season at no. 68, an impressive rise considering that she is only allowed to play 14 tournaments between March 2019 and March 2020.
She also made her debut on a Grand Slam tournament this year, qualifying for Wimbledon. She was able to reach the fourth round, defeating her idol and former world no. 1 Venus Williams on her way there. She also had an impressive run in the U.S. Open, where she had to bow down to defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round.
During her multiple tournaments, Gauff mentioned how influential her parents have been. Her parents, Corey and Candi Gauff, helped her every step of the way. She explained that she got her stubbornness and motivation from her father while she got her patience from her mother.
In the podcast, the 15-year old rising star talked about how she listed reaching the top 100 in the rankings as one of her goals for 2019. She felt that her parents were skeptical of her achieving that goal. But they helped her work towards the milestone anyway because they believed in her dreams too.
Who is Coco’s father, Corey Gauff?
It can be said that Corey Gauff had a huge part in fostering their daughter’s ambitions. As early as second grade, Corey was already helping Coco prepare for her life in the spotlight and the tennis court.
A former basketball player for Georgia State University, he wanted Coco to follow his footsteps in the basketball court at first. But since she was not a good shooter, they settled on teaching Coco tennis instead.
When he realized that their daughter had potential, Corey made the decision to leave his post as a healthcare executive so he can become his daughter’s head coach. He has brought several trainers on board but he maintains control of Coco’s training regimen. He has also been outspoken about the challenges that come when balancing being a father and being a coach.
Who is Coco’s mother, Candi Gauff?
Candi, on the other hand, was a heptathlete and a hurdler during her time at Florida State University. Just like Corey, she had to resign from her job as an educator for her daughter’s professional career. Now, she is in-charge of Coco’s homeschooling as their daughter is always on the road.
Cori Gauff’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.68 (career-high), the American played her last match on the 16th of October when she had to surrender to Anna Blinkova 6-4 6-0 in the 1st round in Luxembourg.
This year the American has a 18-8 win-loss record. Cori conquered 1 title in Linz.